Kenya Airways outlines ambitious expansion plans

Kenya Airways has confirmed plans to double the size of its fleet over the next five years as the carrier seeks to offer services to every country in Africa.

The news comes as Embraer and Kenya Airways finalise a contract for the acquisition of ten Embraer 190 jets.

The agreement completes contract negotiations following the signing of a Letter of Intent during the 49th Paris Air Show in June 2011.

The deal also includes purchase rights for 16 aircraft, which could be either the EMBRAER 190 or other models of the E-Jet family.

“This final agreement from Kenya Airways for more aircraft in its fleet demonstrates not only its confidence in the future but also its endorsement of the versatility of our family of E-Jets”, said Paulo César de Souza e Silva, Embraer president, Commercial Aviation.

“This confirmation is a sign that our E-Jets have been instrumental in the growth of our largest operator in Sub Saharan Africa, and provided it with an optimal tool to develop new routes while providing their customers with a reliable and comfortable aircraft.”

However, this is just the start, according to Kenya Airways leadership.

“Our strategy has been to grow in Africa, try and get in all capital cities in Africa and also increase frequencies,” explained chief executive Titus Naikuni.

“We are looking at doubling our fleet in the next five years.”

Kenya Airways is one of the largest carriers in Africa, along with Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways.

The carrier presently operates a fleet of 27 planes, made up of Boeing aircraft and seven Embraer jets.